Method of making comforters



June 1, 1937. J; DAv|S 2,081,986

METHOD OF MAKING COMFORTERS Filed Dec. 19. 1956 V INVENTOR.

A TORNEY.

Patented June 1,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,081,986 METHOD OF MAKING COMFORTERS Julius Davis, New'York, N. Y.

' I--l'1i'sinvention relates comforters;

ApplicationDeccmber 19, 1936,

Serial No. 116,682

Claims. (Cl. 5-334) to methods of making Comforters having a filling consisting entirely of downare expensiveby reason of the cost of t the down and the laborious method of manufacture due to filling-especially in the difficulty in producing an even course of stitching.

The

stitching serves to avoid shifting of the'dowmand must bevery tight to prevent down from working through the minute openings formedin stitching.

Hence it has been customary to first form the stiching in the comforter case, usually according toa. design, leaving openings in the stitching through which'a tube could be inserted to blow the down into the numerous passages formed I in the case by thestitching. Thereafter the case and these o'penings are stitched closed.

To reduce the cost of the comforter, it has beenknown to thoroughly mix the latter being a much '20 to-thus provide a hat or easier-to handle than down.

rnitted the anchoring or down with wool,

cheaper material, and mixture which is much This method perrestraining stitching to be-applied last,- without permitting eventual passage of down through the stitching openings.

Howeven'certain disadvantages resulted,inthat thismi-xture -or bat had much less heat retaining qualitythan a down filling, nor did it have the resilience which is so marked in the latter and adds to the attractiveness of the comforter. The

wool that was intertwined around the down nat-- urally served to bind an an unduly compact bat.

d restrain it, producing -"-[One-' object of the present invention is to overeome thedefects above noted and without produoing disadvantagesinso doing. v Particularly, it is an object of'the invention to provide a method of making a fillingcomprising alayer-offree down which can be placed in a 0 practical mannerin acomforter that is thereafter to be Stitched.

A supplemental object-is to furnish animprovedarrangement such that the stitching I can be applied to the down layer without distorting or "bulging the same.

A-Efurther object of the invention is to provide an improved, novel method of making a com-- forter to enable it to be inexpensively produced and with the requisite uniformity in character. 'O'the'r'objects and advantages of the invention-will become apparent as the specification roceeds. -Wi'tli' the aforesaid obj eots in view, the inven-' t n-consists in the novel method pointed out in the -siibjoined claims, an

d illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a comforter made according tothe invention with parts removed to show the construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view thereof.

Fig. 3 isa diagrammatic isometric view showing a first step in my novel method, and the frame used in conjunction therewith.

'Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views showing succeeding method steps, but with parts of the frame removed.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I0 denotes a device such as a comforter, embodying the invention. The same may include a case ll of a suitable flexible or limp material, such as a textile fabric. The case includes opposed upper and lower walls I2, l3 respectively, which are marginally stitched together to completely encase the laminated filling l4. Fastening means such as stitching I 5 extend through the comforter at a series of spaced points or lines to interconnect the walls [2, [3, through the filling. This stitching serves to anchor the filling against shifting, and is desirably arranged according to a decorative design.

The-filling M comprises a layer or pad I6 of a wooly material, and at least one layer ll of a downy material. Preferably two layers of the latter, H and t8, are used, disposed along opposite faces of the wooly layer 16. The latter may have its opposed faces of wooly texture so as to tendto engage the particles of the downy material. The layers IT and I8 are of substantially lessthickness than the wooly layer l6, although the proportions may vary widely with the character of the comforter that is to be produced. Preferably the downy layers l1 and I8 lie in direct-contact with the wooly layer l6 and with the walls-of the case II.

It willbe understood that the layers l1, l8 consist of any suitable free downy material, such asdown of'the duck family. In this way the filling provides a comforter having an attractive highly :resilient character, and surface portions having a high heat retaining quality and permitting-the comforter to be used with equal efficiency witheither side downward.

It'will be noted that the stitching i5 is so coordinated with the filling as to hold the case walls l2, l 3 in substantial contact with the wooly layer I6- This, while not absolutely essential, is

fragmentary sectional Lil desirable in order to minimize the chances of particles of downy material working their way through the minute openings that result in the fabric of the case due to the stitching. For this purpose, the stitching is effected under relatively high tension. Since the layer I6 may consist of wool, the fibers of the latter tend to reliably engage the down at the stitching to thus restrain movement of the down fibers.

The method of making the device II] will now be described. A preformed pad or bat of carded wool whose fibers have been intertwined, such as the pad 56, is placed in the case ll. Then the longitudinal edges thereof are secured in a frame it, with one end of the case open as at 20. The mode of securement may include longitudinal bars interconnected as by clamp screws 2la and between which the edges of the case II are clamped. This frame is partially collapsible in any suitable manner so as to render the clamp devices 2! movable toward and away from each other to tension the case transversely or to permit it to sag between the clamping devices. Transverse bars 22 may be illustratively used, in fixed connection as at 23 with one clamping device or pair of bars 2|, and in movable connection with the other clamping device, as by means of screw clamps 24 movable along the slots 25.

The first step of the method contemplates setting the clamping devices 2| toward each other so as to permit the lower case wall l3 to sag. This wall supports the wool pad I6. Upon lifting the upper case wall l2, the interior is fully accessible to receive a layer of downy material.

According to the second step shown in Fig. 4, the down is blown into the case in a suitable manner so as to permit it to settle relatively uniformly on the wool pad 5 to thus produce the layer is. The fibrous, hairy free surface of the wool pad aids in the distribution of the down. If desired, the down may be fed more toward the edges of the case to offset the tendency thereof to move down the concavity by the pad l6. Since the quantity of down supplied is relatively small, resulting in a comparatively thin down layer, the method of feeding can be accomplished in a practical manner.

As the third step, the frame I9 is expanded to move the clamping devices 2| apart as shown in Fig. 5, to thus render the case transversely taut in its horizontal plane. This causes the upper case wall ii to rest snugly on the down layer l8 and restrain shifting of the down. Now, the operator may work or knead the upper surface portion of the article at and through the case wall i2, so as to effect a relatively perfect distribution of the down as may be desired.

As the fourth step, the expanded frame and its contents as in Fig. 5 is inverted so as to bring the bottom case wall l3 to the top to lie in a horizontal plane; now the frame is collapsed to permit the case wall l2 to sag as shown in Fig. 6. The wool pad l5 now lies on the down layer 88 and holds it securely in position. The upper case wall it is raised and the down layer I1 is furnished, all as hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 4 and 5, it being apparent that the methods for providing the down layers ll, ii are in all respects the same.

Finally, the case is sewn to close the opening 25, and the stitching I5 is applied to finish the comforter. In forming the stitching [5, the comporter may be securely pressed in advance of the line of stitching to tend to separate the down layers into sections. For instance, a sewing machine presser foot may be used which is considerably elongated in advance of the sewing needle, so that, as the comforter is moved with the presser foot engaged thereinto, the down tends to separate somewhat as stated, thus permitting the case walls to closely approach or to come into substantial contact with the wool pad I6. The bed or table of the sewing machine may have a similar device for the same purpose, if desired. It may be desirable to effect the sewing operations while the article is frame l9.

held in the expanded It will now be seen that I have provided an improved and novel method to permit a comforter to be manufactured in a satisfactory, eco-' a case of a limp material, expanding said case to raise the upper wall thereof with the pad resting horizontally on a lower wall of the case, placing a relatively small quantity of loose downy material into the case so as to be adapted to form a rela-. tively thin layer on a surface of said pad throughout the same, flattening said case so that the downy material lies snugly retained between the pad and the upper wall of the case, inverting the case and its contents in the flat condition of the case so that the pad rests on the downy material; expanding said case to expose the upper surface In the manufacture of comof the pad, again placing a relatively small quan:

tity of loose downy material into the case to form a relatively thin layer on said surface of the pad, then flattening the case as hereinbefore stated, and closing the case and stitching through the case, the pad and the layers of down material to thus restrain movement of the downy material.

2. The method of making a comforter including placing a pad having free wooly surfaces into a case of a limp material, expanding said case to raise the upper wall thereof with the pad resting horizontally on a lower wall of the case, blowing a relatively small quantity of downy material into the case so as to be adapted to form a relatively thin layer on a surface of said pad throughout the same, flattening said case so that the downy material lies snugly retained between the pad and the upper wall of the case, then working the upper wall of said case to cause an even distribution of the down in the case, inverting the case so that the pad rests on the downy material, expanding the case in the inverted position thereof to expose the upper surface of the pad, again blowing a relatively small quantity of a downy material into the case to form a relatively thin layer on the said exposed surface of the pad, flattening the case to snugly embrace the downy material, working the upper wall of the case to evenly distribute the downy material, closing and stitching through the case, the pad and the layers of downy material to restrain movement thereof.

3. The method of making a comforter including generally horizontally supporting at opposite edges a case having therein a pad having a wooly surface, moving said edges toward each other to permit the lower case wall that supports the pad to concave, raising the upper case wall and distributing loose downy material into the case upon said wooly surface, moving the said edges apart to render the case taut, working said upper case wall to evenly distribute the downy material, and. then securing the downy material against shifting in the case.

4. The method of making a comforter including generally horizontally supporting at opposite edges a case having therein a pad having a woolly surface, moving said edges toward each other to permit the lower case wall that supports the pad to sag, with consequent sagging of the pad that rests on the lower wall, raising the upper case wall, charging downy material into the case upon said woolly surface in lesser quantity at the lower than at the higher portions of the pad, moving said edges apart to render the case taut, working the upper wall of the case to evenly distribute the downy material, and interconnecting the pad and the case along a series of lines to restrain shifting of the downy material.

5. The method of making a comforter including generally horizontally supporting a comforter case at opposite edges thereof, with said opposite edges moved toward each other and with the lower case wall sagging downwardly, raising the upper case wall and distributing loose filling material into the case upon the lower case wall, moving the said opposite edges apart to render the case taut to restrain movement of the filling material, and then securing the filling material against shifting in the case.

JULIUS DAVIS. 

